Automatic safety train device



c. 1.; KROG. AUTOMATIC SAFETY TRAIN DEVICE.

APPLICATION -FlLED FEB- 21, NHL

Patented May 13, 1919.

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r c. J. KROG. AUTOMATIC SAFETY TRAIN DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FE. 2lfl9l6.

1,303,806. 1 Patented May 13, 1919.

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{lllllle M'l h C. J, KROG.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY TRAIN DEVlCE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21. me.

1,303,806. Patented May 13,1919.

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C. J.. KROG.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY TRAIN DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21. 1916.

Patented May 13,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 rr srnnsf rmvr CARL JENSEN KROG, 0F GREENMOUNT, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOR TO KROG- RAILWAY SAFEGUARDS LIMITED, 0]? GREEN MOUNT, AUSTRALIA.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY TRAIN DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CARL JENSEN KRoG, a subject of the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Greenmount, in the State of Queensland, Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Safety Train Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to means for automatically stopping trains, the object of which is to prevent collisions by preventing trains passing into a section of the railroad track while it is occupied by another train.

The invention has been devised more particularly for automatically protecting the line at stations, in order to eliminate the risk of accident through the mishandling of switches and signals or to the overrunnin of signals. It consists of an apparatus fitted to the locomotive for automatically applying the air brake and shutting off the steam, which can be operated either electrically or mechanically by a device fitted beneath the locomotive making contact with a movable plate fixed between the rails at a predetermined locality; the plate being put in commission by the first train passing over same and actuating a tappet fitted between one of the rails and a guide rail. The tappet actuates a lever connected to a lock, which raises the contact plate putting same into commission, and which can only be released by the train passing out of the protected area. This is effected by the wheels of the locomotive engaging with a tappet fitted between one of the rails and a guide rail, located at the end of the protected area.

Reference is now made to the drawings which illustrate my invention Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a locomotive with parts shown in section and illustrating an improved apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of a detail.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of another portion of the device shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a part of the track Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1919.

Application filed February 21, 1916. Serial N 0. 79,715.

showing means for actuating the throttle and air-release valves on the locomotive.

F 1g. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6+6 in Fig. 5.

illustrated by dotted lines.

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of a portion of track with a slightly modified arrangement of the track apparatus.

Fig. 11 is a side view thereof.

Figs. 12 and 13 are details, and

Fig. 14 is a cross-section on the line 14-14 of Fig. 10.

In the drawings the same reference ymbols indicate like parts in the several views.

(1) is an electro-magnet fixed upon an arm 2, said arm fixed in any suitable position in the cab of the locomotive. 3 is an armature fixed to a detent lever 3 said lever pivoted to a support 4 to which is fitted a spring 5 (except when mechanically operated) impinging against the back of the lever 3 keeping its top end from engagement with the electro-magnet and its lower end in engagement with the end 11 of a weighted lever.

6 and 6 are electric line wires carried to contact plates fitted underneath the locomotive, 7 and 7 are the contact plates.

8 is a tap fitted to the air pipe of the brake system, the plug of which is provided with a square head, upon which are mounted an eccentric 9 and a weighted lever 10 having a catch 11 on its free end, which engages with the detent lever 3 12 is a rod fitted with a valve 13 incased within a pipe in the boiler of the locomotive; this rod works in a stufling box 14 at the front end of the boiler. 15 is a spiral compression spring which when the rod is released forces the valve 13 against a valve seat 16 in the steam pipe 17. 18 is a rod, operating vertically through a bracket 17, pivoted to a short arm 18' on a strap fitted about the eccentric 9 having a bifurcated and slotted end 18 which engages with a j ournal 19 on the valve rod 12 and holds the same in neutral position. V

For operating the above apparatus, pivoted to a crossbar 20 on the underframe of with contact 7, thus completing the electriccircuit through wires 6 and 6 and electromagnet l wherebythepivoted armature will be drawn against the electro-magnet which releasesthe detent 3- from engagement with the catch 11 on the end of the .weighted le -ver 10, which immediately swings down to the vertical position-turning on the escape tap of theair bra-ke and applying the brake,

at the same time the rod 18 is released from engagement with the rod 12 and the valve 13 is forced against its valve seat thus. shutting off the steam-and automatically pulling up the trainwithin a short distance.

The alternative means for mechanically operating the mechanism is illustrated by Fig. 9, in which-25 is;a lever pivoted to the locomotive"and supported in horizontal position by a=pin 26; 27 is a lever vertically disposed also pivoted to the locomotive and held in position by the horizontal lever 25. To the top end of the lever 27 is attached a rod 28, the other end of-which is attached to the detent lever 3,'to this lever is also attached a tension spring '29 which is conveniently' fixed in the cab of the locomotive. 30 is a wire ropeor .rod attached to the lower end of the lever 27 and carried into the cab of the locomotive. 31 and'32 are bell cranks.

It will be readily seen that as the free end of the bell crank 21-, strikes against the lever 25, one end is depressed thus releasing lever 27 and the detent lever 3 permitting the horizontal weighted leverlOto swing down.

I will nowdescribe the locking device and contactplate with which latter the locomotive engages on passing over same as illustrated in Figs. 58 and 10-14.

'33 is a metal casting with a slotted keyway 134 through same,1mounted upon a base plate 35, and on the same base plate is mounted a sleeve 36, an electro-magnet 37 and a pillar support'38. 39 is a plunger with a wedge shaped key 39, the lower part ofthisplunger is shouldered .and reduced, around the'reduced' portion is a compression spring=40 which holds the plunger in neutral position. On one'side of the plunger is a slot 42- for receiving a bolt. 43 is an armature. pivoted .to a lug 44, and on to'this armature is'fixed a bolt'45, which-when the plunger is ,depressed'gravitates into the slot 42 and locks'the plunger'intoposition. 46 is a .pivotally suspended arm which engages with-theend of a metal rod 47, said metal rod shouldered and reduced'at one end.

48 is a tube screwed. into the sleeve 36, provided with a screwed cap 48,.incased within the tubeand encircling the reduced portion of the rod '47 is a compression spring 50. In the rod 47 is a longitudinal slot through .which is inserted a bolt, this slot receives the.

tappet pivoted between one of the rails'and a guide rail, the free end of which rests upon the swan necked bar 54, this tappet is depressed by the flanges of the locomotive wheels which in turn depresses the swan neck bar 54, and the plunger '39, this forces the metal rod 47 outward operating the lever 49 which-by its connecting rod 52 actuates the cam 53 thus raising and'putting into commission a movable contact plate '56 which is hinged to a suitable support between the rails. When the plunger 39 is depressed the bolt 45 shoots into the slot 42,

by which the contact plate 56 is securely locked in its raisedposition.

Figs. 10 and ll'illustrate a'sectionof a single line of railroad track protected at both ends, the space between the ends being a station, dock or other protected area, in this case I employ doublewheel tappets 57, the free ends of which rest upon the swan necked bar 54; to the lever 49 are'pinned slotted plugs 58 fitted to cylinders 59in which are housed compensating springs-'60. spindles 61 provided with disks62,gthe end of said spindles projectingbeyond the-ends of'the cylinders 59, roviding 'for'the expansion or contractionof the wire'rods attached to the spindles 61 duesto varying climatic conditions. 63 are the 'wire 'rods which are connected to chains 64 traveling over grooved pulleys 65, said pulleys mounted upon spindles'66 to which are also'mount ed eccentrics 67 for raising and putting into commission the contact plates 56.

The contact'plates in eitherthe single "or double railroad tracks can only be put out of commission by releasing the plunger-of the locking device which is effected by a the train passing out of the protected area at the departure end of a double railroad track, or out of either end of the-protected area of a single railroad track; in a double "track the wheels of :the locomotive "depress the releasing wheel tappets 6'8 and 68 -'see""Eigs. 5 and 6'and in asingletrack'the double-wheel tappets-69 and 69", all off which tapp'ets..;a-re

"electrically connected to the-electro-magnet of the locking device; for completing the electric circuit I prefer to employ mercury contacts 70, 70 and 70 71 are compression springs working in sockets 72 for supporting the ends of the wheel tappets, and capable of sustaining a compression load of approximately 400 lbs. thus necessitating a heavy pressure to depress the tappets. For putting the contact plates 56 into commission mechanical means are employed and electrical means are only employed for putting same out of commission, in the event therefore of any of the line wires becoming severed or broken, the pro tection 1s maintalned.

The apparatus on the locomotive for applying the brakes and shutting off the steam must necessarily be always in commission when required, as after being automatically released, the engine driver must necessarily put the same again into commission before he can restart his engine.

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A track mechanism including an obstacle, a rod connected to shift said obstacle to operative and inoperative positions, a plunger for moving said rod in one direction, and spring means for returning the rod in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

2. A track mechanism including an obstacle, a rod, connections between said rod and obstacle, cam means for shifting said rod in one direction, electromagnetic means for controlling the release of said cam means, and spring means for returning said rod after said cam means is released, substantially as described.

3. A track mechanism including an obstacle adapted to move to operative and inoperative positions, a spring-pressed rod, connections between said rod and obstacle, a plunger having a wedge key adapted to move said rod to place the obstacle in operative position, a bolt for holding said plunger with the key engaged with said rod, means for disengaging said bolt from said plunger, and spring means for moving said plunger to withdraw said key from its restraint upon said rod, substantially as described.

4. A track apparatus including a movable obstacle adapted to actuate traincontrol means and situated at one end of a block, a vertically movable plunger, a swinging bar coacting with said plunger, a wheel tappet adapted to be depressed by the locomotive and arranged to similarly depress said bar and plunger, a horizontally reciprocating rod having one end disposed near said plunger, a swinging arm having its free end engaging said near end of said rod, a wedge key carried by said plunger and adapted to engage said arm to move the rod in one direction, a lever connected to said rod, a link connecting said lever and obstacle, means for holding said plunger in the depressed position, means for withdrawing said last named means, means for raising said plunger when said restraining means is removed, and means for shifting said rod in the opposite direction when said plunger is raised, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

- CARL JENSEN KROG.

Witnesses:

E. EARLAND ABELL, OLIVE K. ABELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0. 

